K-pop (2014)

Like the Loco and Jay Park

Think I need a couple more times listening to Wa$$up's minor-tonic aegyo-trap on Shut U before I decide if I like it or not...the beat's too simple but the melody is interesting.

MBLAQ's maybe-probably last album released without fanfare today: http://youtu.be/y6gRKrrRB7k

my review of what i think is the year's best k-pop album, if anyone's interested: http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/seo-taiji-quiet-night

good article, and I agree with your album pick (what else?)

thanks! i would say red light is album #2 of the year. as for the singles, hopefully will have a list coming out not too far from now...

oh and in terms of 2nd half of the year, i'd say B2ST best handled the "familiar k-pop" trend. their Drive mini is mature, subtle, and hangs together surprisingly well. their in-group songwriter did the whole thing, they've got one of the best falsettos in k-pop w/ yoseob, the group's performances are always very tight and impassioned...and most importantly, their releases are getting sturdier and more cohesive all the time. they'll never top the highs of Fiction and Fact, i don't think, but both of their mini-albums this year were among the top five releases of the year. (also, i'm convinced "good luck" has the best prechorus of 2014 in korea and quite possibly anywhere).

Hyunseung's a weirdo but an excellent singer (he has the prechorus)

Whoops, no, it's Dongwoon, nvm.

/Hyunseung-biased

crazy what an f(x) ripoff that wa$$up song is. oh well!

btw i started another thread that's definitely separate and broader than this one but i'll be posting a lot of questions there about k-pop (and asian pop generally) so check it out if you want: The "Help Me Figure This Out" Thread

(also, the song i asked a question about is pretty insane, definitely one of the coolest tracks i've heard out of korea this year)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FseJbpIr6k

Her performance was frankly the only one I cared about that whole episode. Pretty interested in hearing the album she had said she recorded a bit before she played. I was kind of annoyed that JYP mentioned (while she was talking) that her voice was like as if she had inhaled helium :c I have some female friends that have high-pitched voices like that when they speak and the amount of annoying comments they get about it is disheartening.

New Neon Bunny & Spazzkid: http://youtu.be/FM8Y7wogkpA

I'm assuming an official video will posted on Cascine Records' channel soon // Lee Jin-Ah's album is actually on Spotify as a heads up.

Infinite F keeping that cheesy 80s movie soundtrack torch burning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nHMNJczXb0

I think they're my favorite Infinite subunit, weak vocals and all.

Lovecubic taking a page from Badkidz' Ear Attack...except I think this is better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCbsMgt2TBE

Dated but catchy as anything.

i normally looooove neon bunny but don't find her feature songs all that great...this is maybe the one song with her involvement i'd actually call bad.

Disagree, vocals super on point.

Speaking of collabs, this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fpwMFLJ0ms

I like that Neon Bunny collab more than the Smells one I think. I'm generally pretty neutral w/r/t Neon Bunny's stuff though. I'm not huge on Teengirl Fantasy but I was really excited to see that Hoody collab when the EP dropped. Spazzkid had a song with Sarah Bonito earlier this year so considering all the PC Music et al hype that happened this year, I'm hoping that Neon Bunny gets some exposure too. Hoody had a pretty good single this year fyi. Which reminds me, Victoria Kim had a killer DJ Mix a bit ago featuring remixes of K-Pop songs and post-Classical Curves grime. You can listen to that at the bottom of the page here: http://truantsblog.com/2014/truancy-volume-103-victoria-kim/

f(x) made the Tiny Mix Tapes songs of the year list (and opens the mix!) in a year when i didn't even write/vote! a very happy day: http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/2014-favorite-50-songs-of-2014

Yea I was really happy to see that! Really happy about all those other picks too except maybe Hey QT, which I think is definitely a lesser PC Music track from this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNQCyR8_2EQ

Pretty typical but I like it more than Sweet Dream

was just thinking how kpop really lacks credible live harmonies...then saw today that Cube's new girl group can harmonize live, play instruments live, and have a very unkpop-looking thai girl in their lineup. (she's not in the following video, though, which is just three of the five members.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvZEkVriC4g

i'm seldom one to get excited for a nugu group without a song to their name, but this seems like something special.

Woah it's got tempo changes and dynamics too... they're like a real musicians. I hope they get (or write) some good songs.

Sweet Dream >>> for me, I love that song. But ANGEL is nice, I didn't know Bizzy could rap.

https://soundcloud.com/blacktoblue/iu-fried-eggs-composed-by-chanhyuk-live

IU dropped by an AKMU concert and lent her voice to this... her style meshes 110% with Chanhyuk's, if they officially collaborated they'd murder the charts.

Sorry, too used to seeing groups showing amazing talent and potential pre-debut and then ending up being used for the same old things as all other groups.

i understand your hesitation 100%, but what other groups had this kind of live (truly live) performance skill predebut? AOA had a band concept at first but it was pretty hokey -- i liked it but they mimed parts to backing tracks.

I think AOA band did do some fully live performances.

Well there has been stuff like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-3tt0lS58

And then there are individual members' capabilities going to waste.. yes, E-young I'm thinking of you. Plus all the general disappointment of groups looking promising in teasers and pre-releases and losing their identity come debut, of course.

GLAM :'(

Though on a happier note, DIA (of Kiss&Cry non-fame) is finally getting a chance at a solo career.... long overdue, 'cause she's way too good a vocalist to go down with that ship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgVJ4riqQvM

never heard of GLAM but that was great. did they ever release anything worthwhile? looks like it was the blackmail scandal that derailed them more than anything, on a quick google's glance.

and BYEBYE bumkey O.O

glam's debut single was great and "i like it" is one of my favorite kpop songs/videos

GLAM's debut was a bubbly pop song about the okay-ness of being a girl attracted to another girl, I Like That was one of the better specimens of last year's 2-songs-in-1 craze and sampled Chulli and Mirae's Why Do You sampling The Cover Girls (as reported by Frank Kogan). Both songs had *really* expensive music videos, which in retrospect was probably not wise and maybe why Dahee tried blackmailing that actor dude for like 5 million.

They worked with their producer on their songs and could breakdance, they were ace.

they were close to bankrupt and only had a niche audience even before the blackmail controversy, though, IIRC.

GLAM's debut was one of my favorite songs of 2012. Don't think they ever topped it but I Like That had crazy good choreo and, as hurricane said, was one of the better k-pop songs last year with a distinct stylistic shift. I wasn't huge on In Front of the Mirror but that had a great message + video.

I remember crying when Party (XXO) came out. The decidedly teen pop aesthetic was the best thing they could've done; you need a song to sound relentlessly celebratory to go along with that message. I mean, stuff like Jieun's 쳐다보지마 is fine but Party feels empowering. Something about pop songs that are accessible enough for kids to enjoy but also help them hate themselves a little less e.g. guetta/sia's titanium (first thing that came to mind).

and she's back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bzN-ibQuvA

permeates with the sort of sadness that i've only found in korean art; such a clear example of han.

Straight to the top of the charts.

in making my list, i've realized that 2014 was a far superior year for k-pop (music) when compared to 2013. i wouldn't have guessed so before checking, so it's a nice surprise.

But for girl groups..?

idc, songs >>>

sorry to throw back to a conversation that's over, but my kpop fan friends and I mourn GLAM every day--"Party (XXXO)" is about same-sex love as mentioned, "I Like That" is about how you don't always need a boyfriend (or girlfriend I guess!) and it's okay to be alone, and "In Front of the Mirror" is about knowing you're beautiful on the inside, albeit told through the more conventional method of missing the person you used to date. oh GLAM we hardly knew ye :'(

Oh, I forgot to mention that Dahee provided vocals for the first Korean vocaloid. Which explains this awesome performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbAagOhXbJ0

Pretty sure Zinni was the only one that could breakdance? Regardless, they were one of the most exciting K-Pop groups (ever) and it sucks they're probably gone for good.

YG feature (with exclusive interview bits) i did today for vice's noisey site, if anyone's hungry for some western k-pop hype -

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/yg-entertainment-owned-k-pop-and-crushed-2014

Really disappointed with YG this year. Winner so so boring. Not even faves like 2NE1 made me care. AKMU huge success of course but not really for me. JYP too, locking up hist best talent in the basement.

I was pretty big on YG this year. I'm not huge on the Winner album but Empty is one of my favorite k-pop songs of the year. Love how each vocalist is utilized to highlight one another. I loved the 2NE1 album too, my favorite K-Pop album since SNSD's last Japanese one. And AKMU's 200% is my soty so there's that. Didn't realize you lived in Korea now Jakob, thought you were just there for a bit.

i loved most of what YG put out this year, and their music videos/promotional campaigns (WINNER) have been god-level. but subjectivity aside, in sheer business terms, it's inarguable that 2014 was their year. they absolutely destroyed the competition.

and yeah! just moved here a week ago. up in this piece like it's permanent~